By Johnathan Paoli
South Africa’s largest teachers’ union has condemned some schools for barring underperforming students from sitting final-year exams, ostensibly in an effort to inflate pass rates.
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU), representing over 250,000 educators, said in a statement following its national executive committee (NEC) meeting that it demanded “immediate action for consequence management for principals and departmental officials found guilty”.
“No learner must be denied their right to write examinations,” the union said.
The rebuke comes as the education sector grapples with persistent challenges, including a nationwide school placement crisis that has prompted extensions for 2026 enrolments until and a surge in online education alternatives.
It also follows a high-profile breach in Gauteng province’s matric exams, where authorities detected irregularities, prompting Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube to launch an investigation.
SADTU said that the 2025 National Senior Certificate exams “generally proceeded well” but flagged “serious concern” over issues like exam anxiety, high numbers of ill students unable to complete tests, and some writing from hospitals.
The union reaffirmed its stance against “high stakes in the matric exams and the euphoria which causes unnecessary pressure on learners,” advocating instead for “a firm foundation on well-resourced early childhood education” to ensure better outcomes.
On school infrastructure, SADTU highlighted the 2025 South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) School Readiness Report, which it said identified infrastructure as the most urgent national crisis, alongside textbook shortages, urban-rural disparities and poor hostel conditions.
The union also expressed “strong dissatisfaction” with the phased rollout of coding and robotics in foundation phase schools for 2026, saying that limiting it to schools meeting readiness criteria would “further entrench inequalities” in under-resourced areas.
It welcomed a partnership to upgrade qualifications for Grade R practitioners but noted rejections due to capacity limits at the University of South Africa (UNISA), urging the DBE to engage other institutions.
INSIDE EDUCATION
